In addition to the game itself, commercial breaks also provide opportunities for brands to find a more organic way in. For example, last year Rakuten capitalized on the intersection of the Super Bowl and New York Fashion Week by having Alicia Silverstone reprise her iconic role of Cher Horowitz in Clueless for their “Not-So-Clueless” ad.
The ad generated a huge buzz on social media from nostalgic millennials and provided an entry point for brand marketers to engage their audiences. After all, it’s not all about the game. The majority of Super Bowl watchers are just as invested in the commercials as they are in the game itself.
Know where your audience is
Before 2023, Twitter was the reigning champ for real-time conversation around global events. For the most part, that’s still true. But while there were 3.7 billion sports-related tweets in 2022, brands have left Twitter/X in droves over the past year and the platform’s daily active users are down 13%.
As a result, brands are prioritizing other platforms and spending 55% less on X in 2023. The rising popularity of Instagram and TikTok means brands need to be aware of where their audience is most engaged and allocate their resources during the Super Bowl towards the platforms most likely to generate the biggest return.
Engage directly with followers
Community management during an event like the Super Bowl is invaluable to brands. A smart, well-timed comment or response to someone else’s content can increase your brand’s visibility and translate into engagement and follower growth.
Audiences get excited when brand accounts validate their ideas by engaging directly with their content. This strategy not only humanizes brands but helps them build deeper relationships with their audience.
While at Netflix, we employed a first-person brand voice in social copy and community management. This tactic had an incredible effect on audiences, propelling obsessed fans to question who was behind the account and led to rapid follower growth. Whether or not a first-person brand voice strategy is right for your brand or client, the tactic of engaging directly with audiences is always a win.
